Leflunomide and methotrexate reduce levels of activated matrix metalloproteinases in complexes with α2 macroglobulin in serum of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective: To analyse the effects of leflunomide and methotrexate treatment on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity levels in a2 macroglobulin/MMP (α2M/MMP) complexes in the systemic circulation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: A total of 102 RA patients from a prospective, double-blind, randomised clinical trial comparing...

MMP protein and activity levels in synovial fluid from patients with joint injury, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoarthritis

Objective: To determine protein and activity levels of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3 (MMP-1 and MMP-3) in synovial fluid of patients with knee joint injury, primary osteoarthritis, and acute pyrophosphate arthritis (pseudogout). Methods: Measurements were done on knee synovial fluid obtained in a cross sectional study of cases of injury (n...

MMP profile in paired serum and synovial fluid samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To analyse matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor-1 of MMPs (TIMP-1) levels in the systemic circulation and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with RA and to compare these levels with inflammatory and collagen degradation markers. Methods: ProMMP-1, -2, -3, -8, -9, TIMP-1, levels of MMP/ α2-macroglobulin complexes, and...

Active MMPs captured by alpha2Macroglobulin as a marker of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. The aim of the present study was to analyze alpha2Macroglobulin/MMP (alpha2M/MMP) complex formation and to investigate whether MMP activity in alpha2M/MMP complexes in serum can be used as a disease marker in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. High and low molecular weight (H/LMW) substrates and inhibitors and size exclusion were...

Matrix metalloproteinases-3, -8, -9 as markers of disease activity and joint damage progression in early rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To analyse the relation between systemic levels of pro-MMP-3, -8, and -9 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in α2 macroglobulin (α2M)/MMP complexes and the progression of joint destruction in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 109 patients with RA of recent onset were entered into this longitudinal...

Molecular markers for osteoarthritis: The road ahead

Osteoarthritis is a disabling joint disease that is characterized by the progressive destruction of articular cartilage. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms in combination with radiography, which is relatively insensitive and provides only an indication of accumulated damage. Alternative methods, such as molecular markers, are therefore...